ASPIRANT SEEKS NEW ZONING FORMULA

A governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Dr. Femi Majekodunmi, has urged the zoning committee of the state PDP to zone the 2011 governorship seat of the party to both the Central and West senatorial districts.

Majekodunmi, a medical practitioner, said that zoning the governorship seat to a signle zone could undermine the chances of the party in the 2011 governorship election in the state.

The PDP chieftain, who said this in an interview in Abeokuta on Monday, explained that he had no opposition to the decision of the party to zone the top seat, but stated that he would prefer the slot to be thrown open to both the Central and West, comprising the Egba and Yewa-Awori.

The PDP Zoning Committee, headed by Chief Kolapo Ogunjobi, which was constituted three weeks ago, is billed to commence its public hearing in the three senatorial districts of the state with the first coming up in Abeokuta on Monday (yesterday).

It is expected that the 10-man committee will receive memoranda and contributions on the zoning formula to be adopted by the party on governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly seats in the state.

While admitting that the wisdom behind the zoning strategy was to ensure justice and fairness in the allocation of elective and political positions, Majekodunmi believed only Ogun East should be excluded from contesting the governorship.

According to him, Ogun East produced the incumbent governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel. He called on the committee to be mindful of the political permutations among the opposition parties in arriving at a decision.

He said, 'I don't see any problem in the move to zone the governorship, the constitution is clear on that. Anybody can contest irrespective of zoning. We are in a democracy and to allow justice and fairness, that's why the PDP has decided to zone the governorship.

'The Yewa and the Egba are in the race. If it is zoned to Ogun Central, there will be hue and cry from the Ogun West, which has cried of marginalisation. But this should not be zoned to the Yewa because of that sentiment. I strongly believe that for the PDP to get a viable and reasonable process, it has to be Egba and Yewa.'